Paisley Park is a whole stone and upwards clear of his five rivals in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, so cannot be opposed to retain his crown in the 3m feature contest there on Saturday (14:25).
Emma Lavelle’s British champion stayer is six unbeaten – including this race 12 months ago.
Paisley Park made rapid progress from handicapper to the star of this division last season, tasting a maiden success at the highest level here.
Prior to that, he landed handicap at Aintree and in Grade 3 company around Haydock.
Paisley Park thus came into last year’s Long Walk Hurdle bang in-form and landed the hat-trick when driven out and keeping on well to beat West Approach by two lengths.
He then confirmed the form under a penalty in emphatic fashion during the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day.
Aidan Coleman rode Paisley Park clear when slamming that same rival up the famous hill by 12 lengths.
A successful return to Cheltenham for the Stayers’ Hurdle itself during the Festival rounded off an unbeaten campaign.
Despite an error at the last, Paisley Park found plenty for pressure on the run-in and drew away from Sam Spinner close home.
His dominance of the division continued with a length success over popular veteran Thistlecrack in the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on reappearance.
Although Paisley Park had to work the victory, he again stayed on well and had the re-opposing third The Worlds End beaten a further seven lengths.
Given race terms are totally in his favour, it’s impossible to look past this son of Oscar.
Long Walk Hurdle odds of 1/4 with Bethard reflect this is a penalty kick for Paisley Park, but sterner tests may lie ahead.
Papagana worth place punt in Long Walk Hurdle
With the field playing for second place, a case can be made for a few.
Although Agrapart likes this bottomless ground, his form has tailed off and recent runs in France leave a lot to be desired.
L’Ami Serge makes his first racecourse outing for 580 days and, although the closest to Paisley Park on official figures, is surely going to need this run after that long absence.
If those two are discounted and The Worlds End has plenty to find on Newbury form with the hot favourite, then Tobefair and Papagana enter the reckoning.
The latter is an Oliver Sherwood trained mare and unexposed at the trip. Papagana is two from two over it, landing Listed contests against her own sex at Doncaster and then Kempton.
She also gets weight all-round in the Long Walk Hurdle and, taking the 7lb allowance into account, comes out level with The Worlds End.
A daughter of Martaline, Papagana has also won on heavy before. That, coupled with two facile successes over 3m, suggests she is well worth a crack at this level.
Sherwood’s stable is in decent nick on a 21 per cent strike rate in the last 14 days at the time of writing.
As the youngest in the line-up aged six, and after just seven hurdles starts, Papagana is open to the most further progress.
That makes odds of 20/1 with Boylesports for her well worth considering each-way.
Tobefair, meanwhile, has run really well in a string of Cheltenham handicaps over the trip.
Trainer Debra Hamer has been among the winners of late as well, so her nine-year-old is no forlorn hope in the Long Walk Hurdle at 12/1 with Unibet on the upgrade.
